October is National Window Covering Safety Month

Most people know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but not many know that October is also National Window Covering Safety Month. What does this exactly mean? Many don’t know about this and unfortunately don’t pay attention to it until tragedy strikes. To be honest, I haven’t paid much attention that October is National Window Covering Safety Month, because I guess I haven’t had a reason to do so. But recently I read an article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch about a mother whose three year old son died from being strangled in the cord from the window blind in the little boy’s bedroom. That really hit close to home because as a mother, I do everything I can to protect my children from danger. I am a mother of two, very active little boys and I never thought that the blinds in their bedrooms would expose any kind of danger to them. But they do! Unfortunately there are several deaths or injuries in the U.S every year, and the heart ache that these parents experience can be so easily avoided. So, if you are a parent, you are probably wondering: “What can I do?” There are so many solutions available that it even surprised me working in the window covering industry. First, there are “kits” available to simply change the blind or shade cords to “break away” cords. Or if you are needing new blinds or shades, you can purchase cordless shades from a reputable organization like us. With it being National Safety month, many of the top manufacturers of Window coverings like Hunter Douglas and Comfortex support us with free upgrades on cordless products. Another option besides blinds and shades are opening and closing draperies where the styles are so vast in todays world that it offers safety and elegance at the same time! No matter what you choose, your little ones will still have the privacy in their rooms, but as a mother or father you don’t have to worry about their safety when it comes to window coverings.   I know I am much more educated now than I was even a few weeks ago. I hope as a parent of young children, that this strikes a “nerve” with many of you to step back and look before something terrible and unavoidable can happen. Bettina Goscinski Social Media Coordinator